Locking device for clasps.



M. SCHIFF.

LOCKING DEVICE PoR CLAsPs.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l1, 1913.

1,080,371 Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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MORRIS SCHIFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR CLASPS.

Application filed February 11, 1913.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Mouais Somrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Locking Device for Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved locking device for the clasp of a bracelet, necklace or other article of jewelry, and arranged to prevent accidental opening of the clasp, to be incon spicuous and avoid marring of the ornamental appearance of the article, and to present no undesirable projection on the surface of the article.

In order to accomplish the desired result use is made of a locking device slidable transversely within a member of the article and adapted to pass through an opening in the finger piece of the usual spring tongue forming part of the clasp, the locking device when in closed position presenting no undesirable projecting parts on the outer surface of the article.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an enlarged edge view of the locking device applied to the clasp of a bracelet; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 and showing the guide pin in outermost position; and Fig. 6 is a section of a modilied form of the locking device for the clasp.

The bracelet on which the locking device is shown applied in the drawings consists of the usual sections A and A connected with each other at one end by a hinge (not shown) and adapted to be fastened together at their free ends by a clasp consisting of a spring tongue B held on the member A and adapted to engage a keeper C held within the hollow free end of the other member A, the said spring tongue B being provided with a finger piece D adapted to pass into a slot E formed in the member A', as plainly indicated in Figs. l and 3. It is understood Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 747,713.

that when the free ends of the members A and A of the bracelet are moved into closed position the spring tongue B engages the keeper C to hold the members A and A in closed position.

The locking device for the clasp described is arranged as follows: A locking pin F is adapted to pass transversely through an opening D formed in the finger piece D at a point in the rear of the keeper C, and the locking pin F is mounted to slide transversely in a tubular bearing G extending wholly within the hollow end of the member A in the rear of the keeper C, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2, and the said bearing Gr is divided at its middle at G for the Passage of the forward end of the finger piece D. New' when the parts are in closed position the opening D inthe Iinger piece D registers with the opening in the tubular bearing G, and through the opening D passes the locking pin F to hold the finger piece D against being depressed and consequently prevents the spring tongue B from being disengaged from the keeper C, thus preventing accidental unlocking of the clasp and opening of the bracelet. One outer end of the locking pin F is provided with a finger piece I-I adapted to it into a recess A2 formed in the outer face of the member A at one side thereof so that the iinger piece I-I is inconspicuous at the time the locking pin F is in closed position. The finger piece II projects sufficiently with its upper edge beyond the surface of the member A to allow the user to engage the projecting portion with a finger nail to pull the finger piece H outward and with it the locking pin F whenever itis desired to unlock the linger piece D with a view to allow' of opening the bracelet in the usual manner.

In order to guide the locking pin F and to limit the outward movement thereof use is made of a guide pin I secured to the finger piece II and slidingly engaging a second tubular bearing- .I arranged next to the bearing- Gr and likewise secured within the member A of the bracelet. The outer portion of the pin I is somewhat reduced to form a shoulder I (see Fig. 5) adapted to engage or abut against a projection J formed in the outer end of thetubular bearing J to limit the outward sliding movementlof this pin I and consequently that lof the locking pin F connected to the pin I by the .finger piece H.

In the manufacture of the locking device, the pins F and I are passed into tubular bearings G and J from the end opposite the one having the projection J and then the finger piece Ii is connected with the pins F and I at the opposite side So that the inward movement of the pins F and I is limited by the finger piece H and the outward movement is limited by the shoulder I abutting against the projection J. It is not absolutely necessary to use the guide pin I and its bearing J, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6, in which the said parts are omitted, but otherwise the construction is the same as above described and hence further description of the same is not deemed necessary.

It is understood that by the arrangement described the locking device with the exception of the finger piece I-I is arranged wholly within the hollow end of the member A and consequently the locking device does not mar the ornamental appearance of the article, is wholly inconspicuous, and presents no undesirable projections on the outer surface of the article.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersV iastening the free ends of the sections to- Patent:

l. A bracelet or other article of jewelry having one body member provided with a spring catch having a .finger piece, a keeper on the other body member for engagement. by the spring catch to fasten the body members together, the said finger piece having a perforation adjacent its inner edge and located at the rear of the keeper when the parts are in closed position, and pins connected together at one end and slidable transversely in the body member having t-he keeper, one of said pins being a guide Vpin and extending at the rear of the finger piece, and the other pin being Aa locking pin adapted to pass through the perforation in the finger piece.

2. A bracelet having a body made in sec-r tions hinged together, and a spring clasp for fastening the free ends of the sections together, the spring clasp having a spring tongue held on one section and provided with a finger piece having a transverse opening near its inner edge, and a keeper held within the hollow end of the other section and adapted to be engaged by the said spring tongue in combination with a locking device for the said spring clasp comprising a tubular bearing held transversely within the said hollow end adjacent the said keeper, the said keeper and bearing being divided for the passage of the said finger piece, and a locking pin slidable in the said bearing and adapted to pass through the said opening in the finger piece at the time the spring clasp is in closed position.

3. A bracelet having a body made in sections hinged together and a spring clasp for4 fastening the free ends of the sections together, the spring clasp having a spring tongue held on one section and provided with a finger piece having a transverse opening and a keeper held within the hollow end of the other section and adapted to be engaged by the said spring tongue, in combination with a locking device for the said spring clasp comprising a tubular casing` held transversely within the said hollow end adjacent the said keeper, the said bearing being divided for the passage of the said finger piece, a locking pin slidable in the said bearing and adapted to engage the said opening in the finger piece at the time the spring clasp is in closed position, a second tubular bearing alongside the said first` named tubular bearing, a guide pin parallel Y movement of the said pins.

4. A bracelet having a body made in sections hinged together and a spring clasp for end of the other section and adapted to be y engaged by the said spring tongue, in combination with a locking device for the said spring clasp comprising a tubular bearing held transversely within the said hollow end adjacent the said keeper, the said bearing being divided for the passage of the said finger piece, a locking pin slidable in the said bearing and adapted to engage the said opening in the finger piece at the time the spring clasp is in closed position, a second tubular bearing alongside the said firstnamed tubular bearing the bearings being open at both ends, a guide pin parallel to the said locking pin and slidably engaging the said second tubular bearing, the said second pin having its inner portion enlarged to forni a shoulder, a projection on the outer end of the said second bearing and against which is adapted to abut the said shoulder to limit the outward sliding movement of the said pins, and a finger piece connecting the outer ends of the said pins with each other to move the pins inward into locking position or outward into unlocking position relative to the opening in the said nger piece of the spring tongue, the body of the article being provided with a recess in its outer face to receive the said finger piece.

5. A bracelet, or like article having one body member provided with a spring catch having a spring tongue and a finger piece provided with a perforation, a keeper on the other body member for engagement by the spring tongue to fasten the body members together, the said keeperl being divided for the passage of the finger piece, the said perforation being adjacent the inner edge of the finger piece and at the rear of the keeper when the parts are in closed position, a looking pin slidable transversely in the body member at the rear of the keeper and adapted to pass through the perforation in the finger piece, a guide pin mounted to slide transversely in said member at the rear of the finger piece, and means for limiting the outward movement of the said pins, the said body member having a recess formed in its outer 'face at one side thereof, and a finger piece connecting the outer ends of said pins with each other and adapted to fit in the said recess.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two4 subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS SCT-UFF.

Witnesses SAMUEL D. Summen, HERMAN A. SoIIonNrreLn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

